Troubleshooting template deployment or cloning when it fails in vCenter Server

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides troubleshooting steps for template deployment and cloning in vCenter Server failures. These steps eliminate common causes for the problem by verifying the sysprep files, verifying the virtual machine configuration, and verifying the the vCenter Server configuration.

Symptoms:

Deploying a template fails
Cannot deploy a virtual machine
Failure when cloning virtual machines
Failure to boot guest operating system after installing VMware Tools
Cannot clone a virtual machine
You see errors similar to:

Network copy failed for file.
[] /home/vmware/xxx/nvram
When attempting to clone a virtual machine through vCenter Server, you see the error:

Failed to connect to host

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.0.x

Resolution

Validate that each troubleshooting step below is true for your environment. Each step provides instructions or a link to a document to eliminate possible causes and take corrective action as necessary. The steps are ordered in the most appropriate sequence to isolate the issue and identify the proper resolution. Do not skip a step.

Name resolution problems in the ESX/ESXi environment can cause issues with file copies. Verify that Name Resolution is valid on ESX/ESXi. For more information, see Identifying issues with and setting up name resolution on ESX/ESXi Server (1003735).
The correct version of sysprep is critical in deployments. Verify that the correct version of Microsoft sysprep has been installed to properly do the customization. For more information, see Sysprep file locations and versions (1005593).
Verify that virtual machines are installed with the latest version of VMware Tools. For more information, see Verifying a VMware Tools build version (1003947).
In some cases, other VMware products can interfere with the normal operation of vCenter Server. Verify that no other VMware products have been installed on vCenter Server. For more information, see Ensuring vCenter Server is the only VMware product installed on the host (1005594).
Verify that the guest operating system is defined correctly. Incorrect definitions can cause deployment failures. For more information, see Ensuring the guest operating system type is set correctly (1005870).
Verify if the slow deployment is specific to one template or if it affects all templates. To properly test this,VMware recommends you to create a brand new template and then test the deployment. This provides a clean test of the environment. For more information, see Deploying a single template is slow in vCenter Server (1004028).
Determine if the issue is caused due to conditions related to slow cloning or deployment of templates. For more information, see Diagnosing slow deployment of templates or clones from vCenter Server (1004002).

Note: If your problem still exists after trying the steps in this article, please:

Gather the VMware Support Script Data. For more information, see Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products (1008524).
File a support request with VMware Support and note this KB Article ID in the problem description. For more information, see How to file a Support Request in Customer Connect (2006985).

Additional Information

Verify on ESX/ESXi 4.1 and later if the storage array devices in the environment support the hardware acceleration functionality and if they are responding correctly to VAAI primitives. If there is no VAAI support on the array, cloning or Storage vMotion may fail at 18%. For more information see Cloning or Storage vMotion fails at 18% with the error: Failed to clone: Connection timed out (1029244).

For further information on VAAI, see:

Identifying issues with and setting up name resolution on ESX/ESXi Server
Verifying a VMware Tools build version
Diagnosing slow deployment of templates or clones from vCenter Server
Deploying a single template is slow in vCenter Server
Sysprep file locations and versions
Ensuring vCenter Server is the only VMware product installed on the host
Ensuring the guest operating system type is set correctly
Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products
Frequently Asked Questions for vStorage APIs for Array Integration
Cloning or Storage vMotion fails at 18% with the error: Failed to clone: Connection timed out
Disabling the VAAI functionality in ESXi/ESX
How to file a Support Request in Customer Connect
vCenter Server におけるテンプレートのデプロイもしくはクローンの失敗に関するトラブルシューティング
对 vCenter Server 中失败的模板部署或克隆操作执行故障排除